{"id":40894,"date":"2025-02-27T14:51:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-27T22:51:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=40894"},"modified":"2025-02-28T03:08:30","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T11:08:30","slug":"desert-survival-lost-at-sea-and-swamps-navigating-the-terrain-of-wicked-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/desert-survival-lost-at-sea-and-swamps-navigating-the-terrain-of-wicked-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"From Deserts to Swamps to the Open Sea: Navigating the Harsh Terrain of Wicked Problems"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cMortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble\u201d (Job 14:1)<\/strong>\u2014a verse that comes to mind when reflecting on Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth\u2019s Exploring Wicked Problems<\/em>. Drawing from the work of social scientists Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber, Bentley and Toth distinguish between two categories: tame problems<\/em> and wicked problems<\/em>. Tame problems have clear solutions, while wicked problems are complex, ambiguous, and resistant to resolution. The authors cite Stanford University professor Larry Cuban, who defines wicked problems as \u201cill-defined, ambiguous, complicated, interconnected situations packed with potential conflict. In organizations [and elsewhere], wicked problems arise when people compete for limited resources, hold conflicting values, and wrestle with diverse expectations held by others about what [we] should be doing.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

When faced with wicked problems, people often react by ignoring or denying them, repeating past failed solutions, or simply hoping for a miracle. However, Bentley and Toth propose a more effective approach\u2014one that begins with naming the wicked problem, acknowledging its complexity, and embracing adaptive strategies rather than clinging to ineffective quick fixes.[2]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Rather than succumbing to the daunting nature of wicked problems, Bentley and Toth argue that challenges are not just obstacles but opportunities. Problems, they claim, enrich our emotional lives, stimulate our thinking, and expand our capacity to learn. As they write, \u201cGrowth, success, emotional vitality, courage, wisdom, thinking, perceiving and experiencing, learning, choosing, and acting\u2014all are associated with problem situations.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, Karise Hutchinson highlights the complexity of wicked problems, explaining, \u201cUnlike well-defined problems that are characterized by a known goal and route to the correct answer, ill-defined problems (also defined as wicked problems) are characterized by multiple potential goals, numerous ways of solving the problem, and several possible and acceptable solutions.\u201d[4]<\/a> She asserts that a new type of leadership\u2014creative leadership\u2014is needed to tackle these challenges. However, she emphasizes that \u201cthe most innovative outcomes emerge from a diverse collection of individuals thinking and acting creatively together.\u201d[5]<\/a> Bentley and Toth state, \u201c…collaborating with others, create new ways that actually make a difference.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

This need for collaboration and creative leadership in the face of wicked problems becomes especially clear when considering the \u201cDesert Survival\u201d or \u201cLost at Sea\u201d exercise. I first encountered it during my undergraduate years as a Business student, and its results have stayed with me ever since. In this exercise, participants are placed in a scenario where they are stranded\u2014whether on a deserted island, lost at sea, or in a desert\u2014and given a list of survival items. Each person ranks these items individually in terms of their importance for survival, and then the group comes together to discuss and reach a consensus on the same task. The surprising twist, however, is that teams often perform worse than individuals, which challenges the assumption that group collaboration always leads to better outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Several obstacles hinder a team\u2019s success, including groupthink, where the desire for consensus stifles critical thinking; social loafing, where some individuals disengage, assuming others will carry the load; and overconfidence, where teams may place undue trust in flawed reasoning, especially if it comes from a confident speaker. However, when teams work effectively\u2014by valuing diverse input and leveraging expertise\u2014they can achieve better results.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Much like being stranded in the desert or lost at sea, Bentley and Toth use the metaphor of a swamp to describe the disorienting and overwhelming nature of wicked problems. They write, \u201cThere is no firm place to stand; people feel they are in over their heads. The light is dim\u2014dark, gloomy, and uncertain\u2014and the tools most people bring with them are either inadequate or outdated for the work that must be done.\u201d[7]<\/a> Much like the stranded individuals in the survival exercise, people confronting wicked problems often feel overwhelmed, unsure, and ill-equipped to handle the situation.<\/span><\/p>\n

This image of the swamp evokes a sense of helplessness and confusion, much like the experience of trying to solve complex, interconnected problems without the right resources or understanding. In John Bunyan\u2019s Pilgrim\u2019s Progress<\/em>, the protagonist, Christian, encounters the “Swamp of Despair,” which parallels the challenges we face when confronting wicked problems. In his dream, Christian meets a figure named Help, who explains, \u201cThis place was never meant to remain in such disrepair. For over two thousand years, the King\u2019s workers have been trying to fix it, following the guidance of His Majesty\u2019s surveyors. Despite their best efforts, the swamp has swallowed up countless resources\u2014millions of the finest materials intended to solidify the ground\u2014but it still remains unchanged.[8]<\/a>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In conclusion, the wicked problems we face are often complex and resistant to simple solutions. As Bentley and Toth highlight, these challenges are “never solved, fixed, finished, or tamed.\u201d[9]<\/a> The examples of the “Desert Survival” exercise and the “Swamp of Despair” from Pilgrim\u2019s Progress<\/em> serve as metaphors for the disorienting and overwhelming nature of these issues. They remind us that the key to addressing such problems lies in embracing them as opportunities for growth and innovation. Just as teams may falter in the “Desert Survival” exercise due to challenges like groupthink or overconfidence, so too do we often feel ill-equipped when faced with wicked problems. But, as Bentley and Toth write, “If we seek out other people and join with them in figuring out what is valuable, meaningful, and worthwhile about the experience, and if we come to understand that struggling effectively in a swamp is in itself a notable achievement, we can help prepare ourselves for future experiences in swamps.\u201d[10]<\/a> By collaborating with a diverse group of individuals, we can unlock creative solutions, navigate these challenges together, and transform obstacles into meaningful progress.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

[1]<\/a> Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems: What They Are and Why They Are Important<\/em> (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020), 11, Kindle.<\/span><\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems,<\/em> 33, Kindle.<\/span><\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems,<\/em> 65-66, Kindle.<\/span><\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Karise Hutchinson, \u201cLeadership and Creative Innovation,\u201d\u00a0Illuminaire Press Vol. 1<\/em>, no. 1 (2024): 117,\u00a0https:\/\/www.illuminaireleadership.com\/illuminaire-press-vol-1-digital<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Karise Hutchinson, \u201cLeadership and Creative Innovation,\u201d\u00a0Illuminaire Press Vol. 1<\/em>, no. 1 (2024): 118,\u00a0https:\/\/www.illuminaireleadership.com\/illuminaire-press-vol-1-digital<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems, <\/em>120, Kindle.<\/span><\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems, <\/em>144, Kindle.<\/span><\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress<\/em>, rev. Alan Vermilye (Linton, IN: Brown Chair Books, 2020), 23, Kindle.<\/span><\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems, <\/em>70, Kindle.<\/span><\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems,<\/em>181-182, Kindle.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cMortals, born of woman, are of few days and full of trouble\u201d (Job 14:1)\u2014a verse that comes to mind when reflecting on Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth\u2019s Exploring Wicked Problems. Drawing from the work of social scientists Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber, Bentley and Toth distinguish between two categories: tame problems and wicked problems. Tame […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":208,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2994,2995,2967],"class_list":["post-40894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bentley","tag-toth","tag-dlgp03","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/208"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40894"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40930,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40894\/revisions\/40930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}